LG Canada hits the airport for March Break

The departure lounge at Toronto’s Pearson Airport took on a new dimension for a four-day marketing program promoting the launch of LG Canada’s new Cinema 3D TVs.

Chris Powell
March 14, 2011

The departure lounge at Toronto’s Pearson Airport took on a new dimension for a four-day marketing program promoting the launch of LG Canada’s new Cinema 3D TVs.

Timed to coincide with the busy March Break travel period–when an estimated 70,000 people per day are expected to pass through Pearson–the promotion featured 3D “experience zones” in Terminals 1 and 3.

The promotion was created by Toronto agency XMC Sports & Entertainment, a boutique agency specializing in experiential marketing. XMC is the sponsorship AOR for LG and Canadian Tire, and also counts Grand & Toy and Corby Distilleries among its clients.

XMC negotiated with the Greater Toronto Airport Authority to have the viewing areas strategically placed so that consumers can experience the TVs in a relaxing environment after the stress of passing through the security gate.

In addition to Cinema 3D TV’s showing programming such as the NHL’s recent Winter Classic, trailers for the upcoming 3D movie Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil and the movie Coraline, brand ambassadors are also handing out popcorn in LG-branded bags and 20,000 pairs of Cinema 3D-branded glasses.

“Consumers who enjoy the technology are more than welcome to take a pair because they’re partway towards enjoying Cinema 3D at home,” said XMC president Steven Lewis.

Lewis said other venues in the city such as Dundas Square and Union Station were considered, but the departure lounge of Pearson offered an unmatched opportunity to reach consumers in a more relaxed environment.

“The question was ‘Where can we find the people in a place where they’re ready to be engaged and relaxed?’” said Lewis. “There’s such a hustle and bustle environment in Toronto that we were really challenged to find a spot where people were ready to sit back and relax.

While LG’s primary market is technology-savvy males in their early to mid-30s, this program is aimed primarily at families, said Lewis.

Frank Lee, senior manager of corporate marketing for LG Canada in Toronto, said that while Canadian consumers are keen to adopt new technologies, they also tend to take a “pragmatic” approach.

Lee estimated that about 12% of consumers purchasing new TVs are specifically seeking out 3D models, but expects that number to increase as traditional barriers to entry– price, a lack of 3D programming and 3D glasses that are both expensive and uncomfortable–come down.

LG’s Cinema 3D product line features TVs ranging in size from 42 inches to 55 inches, with prices ranging from $1,700 up to $3,500. Lee likened 3D technology to cameras on mobile phones, which evolved from being a luxury add-on to a standard feature. “Year over year, it’s just going to become part of the set–it’s not going to be a premium feature anymore,” he said.

LG will support the Cinema 3D launch with traditional and social media efforts next month.

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